


If We Had More Time

by TaraHarkon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Consequences, Death, Family, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Temporal Chalice, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 20:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17925587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: In one world, the liches of Wonderland found the Animus Bell and ruled their domain with charisma and cruelty in equal measure. In another, they found the Temporal Chalice and tore a path back to their baby brother and the time when there had been three of them.But decisions like that come with consequences and returning to the past doesn't erase the memory of the people they have been.





	If We Had More Time

They had heard tales, tales of a bell that could allow liches to do amazing things, impossible things. The twins had hoped, had silently prayed, that this would be the answer to their problems. They had hoped that the so-called Animus Bell would allow them to reunite their small family and bring their baby brother home. For that reason, they had left the safety of their home hidden deep in the Felicity Wildes and ventured out into the world in search. What they had found though, what sat before them, was not the Animus Bell. They had tracked the power they thought was sure to be the Bell and found instead a golden cup. It stood on a stem, more a chalice than a cup really, and glittered in the light. Edward was the one who took it, examining it while Lydia glared at the man and his child who had it in their possession.

"It isn't what we wanted, dear sister, but I think it might just do the trick anyway."

Lydia leaned in, her expression concerned.

"Are you sure?"

And then as she reached towards her brother, they were both pulled into a vision.

* * *

Keats ran along the side of the river, laughing as he shouted for them to chase after him. Edward gasped and reached for his sister's hand, squeezing it tightly as he saw himself chasing after the little boy.

"Slow down!" His past self was laughing too. "Come on, Keats, I thought we were going to pick berries?"

"We are! But the best ones are up here!"

_"Edward."_  Lydia hissed, leaning close. She grabbed his arm with both hands, her grip tight. "It's... this can't be..."

Keats laughed again, ears flared wide as he scrambled up the rise towards the berry bushes, his basket hooked on his arm and barely remembered. He laughed as he reached the bushes and popped a handful of the sweet berries into his mouth. Turning, he had blue smeared all around his mouth and a huge smile on his face. The Edward of the past finally caught up with him, reminding him with a smile that he had a basket for his berries.

"And remember, we need to bring enough home if you want Lydia to make berry muffins like you asked."

They had spent the whole afternoon like that, laughing and joking as they filled both baskets to overflowing and filled their own stomachs as well. The next morning, Keats had started coughing. This was it, the last healthy day of his life. It was the last day that he had been able to be a little boy, the last day before everything became wrapped up in trying to find a way for him to get better. At first, they had just had him rest. Don't run, don't swim, eat soup and drink tea and try to sleep. Day by day, he had only gotten worse. Day by day, the cough turned deeper and wracking. He had grown pale and gaunt and then one day he had gone still and cold.

Lydia's hand on Edward's arm tightened and they both heard a voice speaking to them. It was hard to say if it spoke to their minds or their ears, but it was friendly and sounded like a cheerful man.

_"You could have this back. You could make the right choices and keep him safe. All you have to do is use me."_

The twins didn't hesitate. If this were a bard's tale, they would have paused dramatically and exchanged a look. They would have hesitated. They would have been unsure as they blundered forward into this decision. But this was not a bard's tale and they strode forward with surety and confidence, with the clawing, raking need deep inside them demanding they take this option. It was their last best option and Keats was standing before them with his dark messy hair and bright laughing eyes. How could they do anything else? How could they choose any other path but this?

_"You must never want anything more than this. If you take this, if you use me and fix this, you can never leave the timeline you create without destroying it. You have to want to maintain that timeline no matter what happens."_

Edward's ears flicked back, the only sign either of the liches gave of hesitation. But then he nodded in time with his sister.

"Then we'll do it."

"It's worth it. He's worth it."

And a moment later, they were there. They were then. 

* * *

Keats woke up the next morning, running around their small camp just like always. If he noticed that his brother and sister were watching him with eyes that shone with tears, he said nothing. Instead, he went to grab one of the muffins left in the basket overnight with a cloth to cover them and then brought the basket to them.

"Can we go into town today?"

He asked it with a huge smile on his face. Edward ruffled his brother's hair and looked over at Lydia. They hadn't before, last time, the first time.

"Sure, that sounds like fun. What do you think, Lydia?"

Lydia smiled as well, trying to wipe the tears from her cheeks as subtly as she could.

"That sounds like a perfect day, Edward. And maybe we can find something nice."

She reached for her little brother's hand and he immediately held her hand, a huge smile on his face. Edward took his other hand and the three of them started walking towards the town. 

* * *

The thing about the Temporal Chalice is that in order to have to maintain the timeline, in order to have to keep wanting this to be your reality, you have to remember the alternative. And what that boiled down to was that even with Keats with them, even with Keats alive and well and the infection healed while it was still minor, Edward and Lydia could remember their lives before, they could remember the endless search for a cure, they could remember becoming liches and ruling Wonderland. And most of all, they could remember lives spent without Keats. They could remember the sight of him cold and pale and laying in a cheap pine box. 

It was hard at times, remembering him like that while he was sleeping. Now was one of those times and Lydia sat beside him, her ears quivering with tension as he slept curled up on his side. He hardly moved, his breathing was so shallow. She kept starting to reach out, wanting to wake him just to see that he was alive. She needed to prove to herself that everything was alright. At that moment, Keats rolled over, one ear flicked up and the other down. He looked like a puppy with ears far too large for the rest of him. She wondered what he would look like when he grew up. It was the one question of the future she didn't actually have yet. What sort of man would he grow to be given the chance? She couldn't wait to see.

When morning came, she was shivering with cold and realized she'd never even so much tranced. The sun was rising over the horizon and Keats began to stir. Edward whimpered, his dreams apparently troubled. Lydia chewed her lower lip. They couldn't last like this. And they had two options before them. Either, she and Edward needed to find a way to erase their memories of that other timeline or they needed to ensure that nothing could ever separate the three of them ever again. As Keats carefully folded his bedroll back up, Lydia tugged on one ear. She knew which she would pick, the question was whether or not Edward would agree.


End file.
